Challenge: 

Research and develop ideas for a corporate, full-colour, print magazine for a subject of your choice. Consider the target audience of your magazine.

Audience:
Owners and managers of startups, growing private companies and small businesses. Fairly affluent 30–50-year-old college-educated individuals, mostly male, mainly in the USA.

Deliverables:
A double-page layout for a magazine article made using  Adobe InDesign and Photoshop.

Solution: 

Researched and drew inspiration from the magazine layouts of Inc. and WIRED. Challenged myself to make the article about traditionally underrepresented demographics within the corporate context such as women of colour, yet making it connect with the mostly male readership of the magazine. Initially worked with a magenta and yellow colour palette, plus serif and script typefaces, all of which moved within a traditionally feminine visual language. At the same time, I was experimenting with an unconventional structure and disruptive visual cues. Looking for a true connection, I pushed the design beyond the traditionally feminine and further towards the visual language of power and stability. Kept the undertone of disruption but cleaned the structure up. Used a strong image and a more restrained colour palette adding gravitas. Used a bold sans serif typeface to highlight both ambition and stability, combining it with a clear hand script to mark out the subjects of the article as authors of innovation. Delivered a strong and impactful layout highlighting the potential in underrepresented communities, yet connecting to the visual language expected by the magazine’s readership.